Bollywood showstoppers have become part and parcel of Fashion Week. Season after season, designers come up with that one individual name who represents their aesthetic and also turns out to be a veritable clotheshorse capturing the vim and verve of their train of thought. Internationally, Karl Lagerfeld has had muses like Lily Cole, Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora, Blake Lively, Keira Knightley, Lily Allen and Alexa Chung. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has the been the most powerful soldier of the Balmain army and since Riccardo Tisci graduated from Central Saint Martins, Maria Carla has been muse to him. In the Indian scenario, yesteryear's ramp-scorcher Mehr Jesia Rampal was muse to many designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal. Sonam Kapoor is a muse to more than 10 designers in the country. However, today's muse soon becomes tomorrow's old news as designers look for new figures of inspiration who give them a new creative rush. With Lakmé Fashion Week kickstarted already, we take a look at this season's muses and ask designers to share their muse story.
Riteish Deshmukh for Raghavendra Rathore
WHY: Because of the natural relationship shared between us. He is a perfect muse because of his versatility and natural flair to crossover from an intense to an easygoing role as an actor. He is very comfortable in his own space and personifies elegance. He can carry off an ethnic bandhgala jacket and formalwear with ease. He's a perfect fit for the signature label Raghavendra Rathore and our to-be-launched ready-to-wear label Imperial India Company.
Ileana D'cruz for Anushree Reddy
WHY: Because Ileana does absolute justice to my label. We share a great rapport as she has been a muse for me earlier as well. My collection "The Royal Courtyard" has a signature style that blends contemporary with Hyderabadi heritage and Ileana complements the same.
Tamannaah Bhatia for Payal Singhal
WHY: The line is inspired by the Sheesh Mahal's mosaic wall. So we wanted someone who has a young contemporary vibe and a classic Indian face. She is modern and today's girl and fits the bill. Also, she's experimental with her own fashion and has a very relatable body type: a curvy figure.
Akshara Haasan for Kanika Saluja
WHY: Akshara represents the youth power of today. She is pushing the envelope and is taking risks. We, in our country, need such free thinkers. Also, she represents the voice of Anaiikka, which is freedom at any cost.
Nargis Fakhri for Masaba
WHY: The collection is called Sugar Plum and Nargis has the perfect look to remind you of everything candy. No one else would fit the look.
Nimrat Kaur for Shilpa Reddy
WHY: Nimrat Kaur epitomises modern Indian woman: she is able to represent herself on a global stage without compromising her Indian femininity. That is exactly what I hope to achieve from my collection. The fabrics are traditional Indian weaves khadi silk and malkha cotton but applied to flowing Indo-Western silhouettes.
Sagarika Ghatge for Pallavi Singhee
WHY: A beautiful woman doesn't fight for the limelight, but is naturally endowed it. The allure of the beautiful woman is that she does not need to work hard or fight for attention. Sagarika Ghatge was the obvious natural choice.
Karisma Kapoor for Neha Agarwal
WHY: Karisma was my very first choice and it cannot get better than this for my Russian-inspired collection. She blends in perfectly with her delicate frame and doll-like face.
Neha Dhupia for RRISO by Sonu Dharnidharka
WHY: Neha's chiselled looks combined with her charm and attitude draw all eyes to her and keeps them entranced. Neha's personal ethos of 'never giving up as that turns out to be your weakness' resonated very strongly with me and the vision I had of my collection. 'Eos' is meant for the strong, confident and determined modern woman and Neha epitomises these very qualities.
Riya Sen for Karan Berry and Leon of Karleo
WHY: Riya epitomises the true Indian woman; strong in character, beautiful eyes and a perfectly curvaceous body. Although she is dainty, her soul and spirit is extremely strong and independent.
No showstopper for Manish
Bollywood's darling Manish Malhotra will not have a showstopper this time for his show. His 'Blue Runway' line introduces a new dimension to his summer collection with a social message of change. In association with the WEvolve campaign, with World Bank as partner, the show will mark the global launch of this initiative focused on challenging societal norms that lead to gender-based violence. "I decided not to have a showstopper this time as I wanted to give out a serious message," he shared.
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